The effects of different storage years on chemical components and the antibacterial activities of essential oils in Artemisia argyi(Beiai and Qiai) were studied to provide data references for screening the better antimicrobial activity of Artemisia.The essential oils of Beiai and Qiai in 0,1st,and 2nd years were extracted by water distillation.The chemical compositions of essential oils were identified by GC-MS.To study the antibacterial activity of the essential oils,10 kinds of common bacteria were selected,and the antibacterial spectrum and minimum bactericidal concentration of the essential oils were detected.The results showed that storage years affect the chemical compositions and bacteriostasis activity of the essential oils of Beiai and Qiai.The GC-MS and compounds analysis results showed that the small molecules of volatile substances were higher in the 0 and 1st years of Beiai than others.With the increase of storage years,the content of macromolecular volatile substances increased.Compared with Beiai,thujone was found only in Qiai.The results of the antimicrobial spectrum showed that the essential oil of the Artemisia argyi family has a wide antimicrobial spectrum,but there are differences.Among the different storage years,the antibacterial activity of the Artemisia argyi family in year 0 was best among them.The essential oil of Beiai and Qiai has better antibacterial effects on Salmonella, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella-resistant bacteria and Pseudomona aeruginosa.A comprehensive analysis of essential oil content and antibacterial activity showed that the essential oil of Beiai in year 0 was the best choice.